Morgan Group won city approval for a 452-unit multifamily development in Sunrise.

The Houston-based multifamily developer won approval earlier this month of a site plan for the low-rise apartment and townhouse complex, called Caroline at Sunrise, as well as a rezoning of the 21-acre development site.

Two companies own the site and are partners with Morgan Group in the development of Caroline at Sunrise, said Aventura-based Lauren Iaslovits, who manages one of the companies.

The owners of the site on the southwest corner of North Pine Island Drive and West Oakland Park Boulevard are 3363 Pine Island, LLC, and Humbold 18, LLC, according to Morgans rezoning application.

Steve Flasz of Hallandale Beach manages 3363 Pine Island, which owns a large eastern swath of the development site that includes a former ice rink that was called Sunrise Ice Chalet. His company paid $3.9 million in 2019 for the former ice-skating property at 3363 North Pine Island Road in Sunrise, according to county property records.

Iaslovits, manager of Humbold 18, told The Real Deal that the total price the two companies paid in 2019 for the Caroline at Sunrise development site, including the old ice rink, was about $13 million.

The Sunrise City Commission rezoned the development site on Nov. 14 from general business district (B-3) to planned unit development (PUD) and approved a 14-building site plan for Caroline at Sunrise.

Morgan agreed to reserve 15 percent of the residential units, which equates to 68 units, as affordable housing with below-market rents for moderate-income tenants, as defined in the Broward County Comprehensive Plan.

Other conditions of the rezoning include Morgans agreement to pay $150,000 to upgrade a nearby bus stop with a bus shelter design, and to build a seven-foot wall on the west side of the development site, next to a cluster of single-family homes.

The development is designed as eight four-story apartment buildings with 412 units, and six three-story townhouse buildings with 40 townhouses. The townhouses would range in size up to 2,358 square feet.

The apartment section of the development would include 35 three-bedroom units, each with about 1,400 square feet, along with 219 two-bedroom units ranging from 1,088 square feet to 1,275 square feet, and 158 one-bedrooms ranging up to 759 square feet.

Amenities will include a swimming pool with cabanas, a clubhouse with a gym and resident business center, a pocket park, a tot lot and a dog park. An outdoor kitchen and seating area is planned in the townhouse section.

Family owned Morgan is led by Chairman Michael Morgan and CEO Philip Morgan, and has built or acquired over $4.5 billion of multifamily assets with over 23,000 units, according to its website. Its current portfolio includes more than 17,000 units in Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri and Florida. In addition to its Houston headquarters, the firm has regional offices in Austin, Denver, Dallas and Miami.

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Morgan Group Plans 452-Unit Multifamily Project in Sunrise - The Real Deal

I was first seduced by the dramatic landscapes of Western Australia (often called "the real Australia" by Aussies) as I watched Baz Lurhmanns epic 2008 Antipodean western, Australia, which was largely shot there. A tale of love, war, and the plight of Australia's Stolen Generations (Indigenous and mixed-race children who were forcibly removed from their families by the government, supposedly for their own good), it stars Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and a mesmerizing Brandon Walters as an Aboriginal Australian child of dual provenance ("I not a black fella; I not a white fella either"), and it has just been released as an expanded six-part series on Hulu and retitled Faraway Downs. Luhrmann has recentered and recontextualized the film: It is now expressed from the perspective of the Aboriginal boy.

Coincidentally, likewise in 2008, Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd formally apologized to Aboriginal Australians (especially the Stolen Generations) for the centuries-long, near genocidal depredations they endured. It was the culmination of a national project of reconciliation, begun a decade and a half earlier, to reintegrate Indigenous Australian people and culture into the country's history and economic life.

Nowadays, as a visitor to Australia, you will come across a number of Indigenous Australian guides, indigenous place names attached to English ones (Perth is Boorloo in the Nyungar language), and "acknowledgement of country" rituals at many gatherings, including on planes before landing and at lodges before dinner service, when some version of the following is intoned: "We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and pay our respects to elders past and present."

The Bungle Bungles, in Purnululu National Park, are one of the highlights of the Kimberley region.

In Faraway Downs, Kidman plays an aristocratic Englishwoman who arrives in the outback, as World War II is about to break out, to claim a million-acre cattle ranch (which she inherits after her husband dies) and to sell it off. Or so she thinks before she falls in love with the country, a man, and a child. "When [she] came to this land," the child, Nullah, says of the Kidman character in a pivotal early scene shot in Western Australia's Bungle Bungles, an otherworldly area of 360-million-year-old sandstone eroded into giant striped, beehive-like formations, "she look but she not see. Now she got her eyes open for the first time." He may be talking about the effect on her of this fantastical geology, but it's more than that. She is also beginning to appreciate the complexities of this ancient land and of a people struggling mightily for redemption.

I embarked on my trip to Western Australia almost on a dare. "Nobody goes there," I was told. "It's too far." Americans mostly focus on Australia's developed east and southeast: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Queensland's so-called Gold Coast, and the Great Barrier Reef. For Australians, 80 percent of whom live along the east coast, the flight to Perth takes almost as long as one to Bali or the South Pacific.

A HeliSpirit chopper in the Kimberley, a good way to get around. They are often operated without doors "so you can see better," as a pilot told me. Wheee!

Distances between settled places in Western Australia are often so great (the state is 3.7 times the size of Texas) that unless you're prepared to spend days driving (from Perth to the Bungle Bungles, for example, takes 33 hours), exploring WA, as Aussies refer to Western Australia, requires some combination of commercial flights, small chartered planes, four-wheel-drive vehicles, and helicoptersbut it's worth the logistical effort both for the experience of WA's singular, off-the-beaten-path natural wonders and for the places you'll get to stay. Several of WA's lodges belong to an exclusive 20-member club, the

Below is the itinerary of my two-week journey of discovery last August, in map and textfrom Perth northeast to the wilds of the Kimberley region (home of the Bungle Bungles and El Questro), south to the Margaret River wine region, and then northwest to Ningaloo Reef, the west coast's answer to the Great Barrier Reef, where I hoped (major wish list item) to swim with whale sharks and perhaps humpback whales. The itinerary was developed with Sydney-based travel advisor Stuart Rigg of Southern Crossings, my go-to man for travel Down Under.

My magical mystery tour of Western Australia in a nutshell. Read on.

My trio of Perth hotels. From left: Comos the Treasury; Crown Towers Perth; and Ritz-Carlton Perth.

Perth is by far WA's largest city and the state's gateway. Your international flight will land here (I flew New YorkDohaPerth), as will most flights from Australia's east coast. It is also the departure point for destinations in WA's north and south; I would end up coming through on three separate occasions.

Como the Treasury occupies a decorative mid-19th-century colonial government building in a historic, recently revitalized part of downtown, and its serene interiors were designed (listen up, Aman junkies) by Kerry Hill, the founding architect of Aman resorts. Not much remains of old Perth, so if you like a whiff of history, this is the place. The Ritz-Carlton Perth has huge, wood-accented rooms with panoramic views of Elizabeth Quay and a buzzy restaurant, Hearth. The views from my room at the resort-like Crown Towers Perth, overlooking Swan River, made me gasp when I walked inspring for a high floor. There is a large lagoon-pool complex with private cabanas near the river, and multiple restaurants and boutiques.

Kings Park in Perth is a nice place to wander about and get acquainted with Western Australian flora.

My stops here were short but revelatory. The Aboriginal Australian guide, Justin Martin (@DjurandiDreaming), who took me on a foray into Kings Park and its botanic gardenone of the largest inner city parks in the world, harboring 3,000 species of WA's native florawas at first keen to talk plants but soon moved on to the history of his people, the Wadjuk Nyungar, whose traditional lands stretch over the Perth metropolitan area. The 200 years after colonial settlement began in Australia (in 1788 on the east coast, 1829 here) were not pretty, and he reminds me of the facts in broad strokes: the declaration by the British government of the continent being a Terra Nullis, "land belonging to no one" (i.e., uninhabited, to justify colonization); the attacks by white settlers on Indigenous Australians, from the late 18th until the early 20th centuries, with more than 400 recorded massacres; the tragedy of the Stolen Generations, which unfolded from 1905 until 1969 (and some say continued into the 1970s); and right here in Perth, the "Native Pass" system, which between 1927 and 1954 prohibited Aboriginal Australians from entering the center of the city without a permit.

At the WA Museum Boola Bardip (note the Indigenous name) I found myself contemplating, in a display of 32,000-year-old shell beads, the Aboriginal people's more distant past. Discovered in a cave near Mandu Mandu Creek, on WA's northwest Indian Ocean coast, they are among the world's oldest extant jewelry, each bead bearing a faintly visible groove on each end, probably made by a long-vanished twine on which they might once have been strung into a necklace. As remarkable as their ageand as yet further proof of the primal human desire for physical adornmentis the fact that the story of Aboriginal Australians is older still. They arrived by sea from southeast Asia in a single migration around 60,000 years ago, ultimately forming as many as 250 language-based groups, of which 123 are still in use today (they are as different from one another as French and English). The Aboriginal groups are connected to stretches of territory known as "country," which Indigenous Australians view in both physical and spiritual terms. Collectively, "country" comprises the oldest continuous culture in the world.

I had time for dinner only once in the hip greater Perth neighborhood of Fremantle (frequently abbreviated to Freo, but Walyalup in Nyungar), but I would have liked to spend a day. The original British port in Western Australia, first settled by whites in 1829, it has well-preserved examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, traces of Australia's past as a British penal colony, and a thriving arts and culinary scene. The many black swans in Perth were altogether a revelation: They appear not only in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake but all along Perth's Swan River.

You can go alone into the gorges and chasms of the Bungle Bungles, but I strongly recommend a guide. As the child in Faraway Downs says, "There are spirits here."

It's home of the aforementioned Bungle Bungles, the extraordinary, UNESCO World Heritagelisted sandstone massif carved over million of years into weird domes, pinnacles, and wavy walls, riven by gorges and chasms and striped orange and dark gray (layers of sediment rich in iron are orange, those rich in clay, home to cyanobacteria, are dark gray or green). It was "unknown" until 1983 (except, of course, to the indigenous Gija people, who have inhabited the area, and walked through here, for at least 20,000 years). But that's the Kimberley for youWestern Australia's northernmost region and also its wildest, most remote, and least traversable. And coincidentally, or perhaps not, where Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first come ashore. Slightly smaller than the entire state of California, it consists of steep-sided mountain ranges and plateaux from which extreme monsoon rains (November to April) and harsh winds have removed much of the fertile soil. Rivers flood regularly; roads, many of them corrugated, wash away; and nature rules. Which is also the source of its attraction.

Via a three-hour commercial flight from Perth to the town of Kununurra, gateway to the eastern Kimberley, followed by a six-seater Airvan (there's an 8 kg luggage limit) to Purnululu Park's tiny Bellburn airstrip. The pilot shouted over the roar of the engine as we flew over Lake Argyle, the largest man-made lake in the world; the recently shuttered Argyle diamond mine, which until 2020 produced 90 percent of the world's pink diamonds; and cattle stations (Lissadell, Texas Downs), their homesteads just tiny specks in the vast, hilly, ochre-colored emptiness.

The platform tents of the APT Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge may look modest, but its sheer luxury just to be here.

The solar-powered APT Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge is not luxe in a traditional way, but its 29 tents are well spaced for privacy, with their own decks, comfortable beds, and strong, hot showers, and there's an inviting central communal space where meals and drinks are served. The meals are long-table affairs, and on my first night the open kitchen produced, in this middle of proverbial nowhere, pumpkin soup, charred prawns with salsa fresca, and a dark chocolate mousse. I walked back to my tent in environmentally correct low-voltage-lit darkness, amid a cacophony of cicadas, looking up at the Milky Way and stomping as hard as I could on the sandy path. Why? Because, as one of my Australian dinner companions noted nonchalantly, "snakes in Australia are poisonous. But they will try to keep awaythey can pick up our vibrations on the ground."

Bec Sampi, my guide in the Bungle Bungles. "I dont guide here at night, but i do come out with the grandchildren. its magic."

What one does in the Bungle Bungles is hike: out of the baking daytime sun into cool, shady, often palm-fringed gorges hidden among the strange domes. My guide from Kingfisher Tours, Bec Sampi, is a speaker of the local Gija and Jaru languages and is a Gija "custodian of country," a traditional honorific bestowed on those who have long lived on a piece of land and walked through it, appreciate it, take care of it.

Cathedral Gorge in the Bungle Bungles. Matters sacred to Indigenous culture take place here when no one else is about.

In the aptly named Cathedral Gorge, an immense circular cavern about two kilometers roundtrip from the southern edge of the Bungles, Bec breaks into a Gija "Welcome to Country" song: an Indigenous ceremony in which local elders have for millennia welcomed people from other areas to their territory. Her words, unintelligible to me, echo hauntingly in the vast space, which vibrates with the sound. There are a few white Australians in the Cathedral, and they come up to thank her; one woman is crying. It does feel like a giftand a form of time travel, something incomprehensibly ancient brought to new life.

I'd read before my trip that Australian Indigenous culture is famously impenetrable to outsiders. The majority of sacred sites and rock artworks are off-limits to visitors; myths and stories, considered powerful and private, cannot be shared. Bec tells me that "men's celebrations" take place in the Cathedral in December, but when I ask her for details she recoils. "That's taboo. I can't speak about that." Yet on our way out she leads me under a rocky overhang and points to two small, faint paintings of boomerangs. "They are thousands of years old. They mean 'no trespassing.' If you saw this, you'd have to declare who you are and what you want here."

Who I am and what am I doing here is a powerfully existential question I feel even less able to answer at our next stop, Echidna Chasm, on the north side of the park. In contrast to the Cathedral, it is dramatically narrow and high-walled, the sky a shard of blue far, far above our heads. The path in and out is a mess of loose stones and boulders, each step a balancing act. I feel as small as an ant, and as squishable. A tad unnerved (a touch of claustrophobia plus an incipient worry about snakes), I'm chatting (a bit manically, I'm sure) as we make our way out. "Non-Indigenous people are loud," Bec observes, kindly but pointedly. "They find it very hard to be quiet. It takes them a long time to just sit and listen." Indeed.

An hour before sunset she takes us to what she calls her favorite sundowner spot and sets up folding chairs and snacks. And we sit. The park feels ours. Not a single vehicle passes on the corrugated road; the only sound is birdsong. Our attention is drawn to the bands of color on the Bungles, which grow ever more surreally orange. "This place," Bec finally says, "has a special feel to it." All I can do is nod. The child Nullah in Faraway Downs said as much of the Bungles: "There are spirits here." I'm starting to understand the reverence Australians of all stripes feel for this burned, austere, ancient land, which is still inhabited by direct descendants of the first humans who arrived here tens of thousands of years ago and who are still, generation after generation, guarding its mysteries. "The elders," Bec says, "have to tell us what stories we can tell, and how to tell them. They are in discussions now. Also, some of our words have no counterparts in English."

El Questro Homestead lodge, just 10 suites on the Chamberlain River in the immensity of the Kimberley outback.

In equal measure for the beauties of this rugged, 700,000-acre cattle station in the wilderness of the East Kimberley (they still run 3,500 head of cattle here, 2,000 of them wild) and for its El Questro Homestead, a 10-suite oasis of privacy and all-inclusive good living originally built in 1991 as a private home and guesthouse by Will Burrell, scion of the British Penguin Books fortune. It is one of the Luxury Lodges of Australia and the outback's crme de la crme, a marriage of harsh frontier landscapes and the finer things in life.

It is also, significantly, the first tourism property in all of Australia to have signed, in November 2022, an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with the Ngarinyin people, traditional owners of this land (who call it Malabu). Not only has a vast expanse of El Questro407,000 acresbeen given to them as a "freehold" to manage as a reserve, but, as general manager Geoff Trewin tells me, "we have leased the land we are on from them for 99 years, which secures their financial future. It is a very detailed agreement, signed off on by the government, wherein we also help them develop touring and other employment, and it's being used as a benchmark for agreements with other Indigenous groups across the country. But it's early days."

Part of the pleasure of El Questro is the sheer achievement of arriving. "For many of our guests," Trewin says, "that alone is the goal. Two or three flights, a long drive, two river crossings with the water past the chassis" I did it differently. The Airvan pilot who brought me to the Bungle Bungles two days ago picked me up again at its Bellburn airstrip and, after a last farewell flyover, deposited me 30 minutes later at El Questro's private airstrip.

A Cliffside Villa at El Questro Homestead. A deep outdoor bathtub is just out of shot to the right, and the drop is 200 feet straight down to the river. There are crocs in there.

In one of El Questro Homestead's three Cliffside "villas," dramatically perched on a rocky escarpment high above the Chamberlain River gorge, with distant views, a large deck, and indoor/outdoor bathing. Note: The El Questro property has two other places to stay: the bustling hub called El Questro Station, eight miles away, which has bungalows, safari tents, and coach parks; and Emma Gorge camp, a 30-minute drive away, which has 60 tented suites. All are under the same management, but the Homestead is hands down the most high-end option. Its opening, back in the day, was covered, judging by the bound tomes of press clippings in the library, by every lifestyle publication on earth.

The boab trees (the Australian abbreviation of "baobab") at El Questro are beautifulbut best not be out and about on foot. The micky bulls (slang for wild ones) are very naughty.

Meals at the Homestead, including five-course degustation dinners, are an event, with some serious magic produced in the outback kitchen at breakfast, lunch, and dinner by New Zealand chef Gareth Newburn. (I kept some menus. Here's one dinner: kingfish ceviche with citrus, shallot, chili, and herbs; green asparagus with edamame, finger lime, truffle, and bunya nut; scallops with corn, pickled mushrooms, and chicken skin; lamb rack with carrot, pommes Anna, and salsa verde; chocolate delice with salted hazelnut ice cream, berries, and nuts.)

Feasts like this can be eaten either communally at a long table on the veranda (convivial fun) or privately, in three cliffside nooks at the edge of the Chamberlain Gorge (very romantic).

You and a fancy picnic basket are choppered to El Questros Miri Miri Falls, and a short technical hike later you arrive at the cool, deep, palm-shaded, utterly translucent pool at the foot of the falls. As Australians say, "Pretty speccy."

"It's an excellent place to do nothing at all," a surgeon from Sydney tells me during my first Homestead predinner cocktail hour. "And we've been extremely successful at it." That's one option: lounging around the pool overlooking the Chamberlain Gorge, swanning up the green lawn to the open bar, eating, repeating. But I'm with the majority (mostly well-heeled Australians who have finally made the journey to WA, with a smattering of international guests) and taking full advantage, during my three days here, of the included activities: expeditions to hot springs, gorges, waterfalls, lookouts.

For our Chamberlain River cruise, we were on a much smaller boat (five of us) and saw not another soul for the entire two hours.

No hiking boots are required for the Chamberlain Gorge boat outing. Nibbling on treats and quaffing Roederer champagne, I'm counting the adorable kangaroo-like wallabies perched like figurines in a giant cabinet-of-curiosities on the gorge's shelf-like outcroppings. And I scan the water: Lurking in there, I know, and at the opposite end of the cuteness spectrum, are the so-called salties, Australia's deadly estuary crocodiles. "They're the apex predator here," says our guide and boatman, Pete. "Been around for 240 million years, unchanged for the last 200 millionunimprovable killing machines."

But what I'm really hoping for is even a fleeting glimpse of indigenous rock art. A drone is flying along the gorge walls some distance aheadpart of El Questro's post-ILUA work with traditional owners, tribal leaders, and archaeologists to conduct a "heritage survey" of the entire property and figure out what needs to be protected and what can eventually be shown to visitors, by whom, and how. I've been told there are significant sites here, possibly including 4,000-year-old figures of Wandjina, the cloud and rain spirits from Aboriginal mythology important to communities in the Kimberley and depicted, uncannily, like helmeted characters from outer space. At one pointbut it could be an illusionI think I notice something, but Pete, admirably, neither confirms nor denies: "It's not our story to tell. At least not yet."

On my last afternoon, maybe six of us are driven to the top of an escarpment called Buddy's Point Lookout for sundowners with 360-degree views of utter, ridge-encircled emptiness. "Bloody tourists!" someone suddenly exclaims. And then we see it: tiny on a distant ridge, a single vehicle. That's how spoiled we've become. Driving back, our safari-style vehicle is enveloped in a sandstorm of red dust kicked up by the tires. It's in our eyes and noses, between our teeth. The outback is suddenly extreme and uncompromising, even in this small way. But all is well. A charming Homestead staffer is there as we pull into the driveway, with a pile of cold, wet towels on a tray.

Vineyards of the Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River.

First, because it's one of Australia's and the world's premier wine regions, yet so Western Australia: It is the world's most isolated (Africa is 5,000 miles to the west, Antarctica 2,200 miles to the south). Its ancient soils predate those of any viticultural area in Europe. And it's had the longest continuous human occupation, going back 50,000 yearsthe Wadandi people have been caretakers of this land for millennia (Margaret River's Indigenous name is Wooditup). And because it's Bordeaux with a difference: It has tasting rooms and top-notch restaurants, of coursebut also migrating whales, mobs of kangaroos, and the monstrous Indian Ocean swells of Surfers Point.

Via a reverse relay: From El Questro Homestead by four-wheel-drive back to Kununurra (90 minutes), then a commercial flight from Kununurra to Perth, where I overnighted. In the morning, a car and driver sped me over excellent roads, in three hours, to the wine country. (There is also a helicopter option often exercised, I'm told, by Perth residents with weekend homes in the wine region30 minutes.)

One of the Indian Oceanfacing villas at Margaret Rivers Injidup Spa Retreat. Time it right and you can be sipping your wine in the plunge pool while watching humpbacks breach.

Because Margaret River's venerable Cape Lodge was about to undergo a major renovation, I opted for Injidup Spa Retreat. "It's another of WA's secrets," I was told. And it felt like one: Ten serene adults-only villas hidden from view along a ridge over the Indian Ocean with private decks and plunge pools, an excellent spa, a white sand beach accessible via a narrow path upon which I never encountered a soul, and no restaurant. Who needs the hubbub? And anyway, in Margaret River, which produces more than 20 percent of Australia's premium wines, tastings and eating out are really the point.

The restaurant at Leeuwin Estates winery. settle in: lunch with pairings might take three hours and is time well spent.

Basically, a grande bouffe. With 220 wineries, 100 cellar doors (Australian for tasting rooms), and dozens of restaurants within easy driving distance (on average, 30 minutes), I had to narrow it down. Dinners were at the Cape Lodge restaurant and the informal, bustling Yarri, whose ever-changing menus are attuned to the six seasons of the Aboriginal calendar (sit up at the open kitchen and the chefs will talk you through it); they also serve some mean craft cocktails. Strong recommendation: Book a car and driver for the evenings here. Ubers are not ubiquitous, and you need to be careful about the kangaroos, which can emerge quite suddenly from among the roadside bushes.

Lunches (lovely-to-sink-into, afternoon-long affairs, with prelunch tastings, of course) were at two of the region's five founding wine estates: Vasse Felix, Margaret River's first, and Leeuwin (named for the warm ocean current that flows southward near Australia's western coast and helps create Margaret River's winegrowing climate). I kept the menu from Leeuwinprobably the best meal of this entire tripto remember the dishes and wine pairings, which I'm shopping now.

The gallery of contemporary Australian Aboriginal art at Leeuwin. If you dont have the time for gallery-hopping in perth, this is your chance.

As much as the wines themselvesLeeuwin's 2020 chardonnay is apparently the most collected white wine in AustraliaI appreciated the packaging of the "Art Series" wines. Their labels feature works by leading contemporary Australian artists, many of them Aboriginal, the originals of which, either collected or commissioned by Leeuwin owners Denis and Tricia Horgan (who, at the urging of Robert Mondavi, converted their cattle ranch into a vineyard in 1972), are on view in the estate's sprawling art gallery. On the bottle of the 2019 cabernet sauvignon is a paintingbe still, my heartof the Bungle Bungles.

Hikers along a section of the Cape to Cape track. Bring a "bather"there are protected natural pools where you can swim.

By the time my scheduled 3.5-hour hike along a section of the Cape to Cape track rolled around (its full length stretches 76 miles from the lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin in the south of Margaret River to the one at Cape Naturaliste in the north), I had to refuse all food, even the breakfast pastries proffered by my Walk Into Luxury guide, Matt Fuller, who picked me up at Injidup on my last morning (the trail runs right past it). Setting aside for the moment Bec's admonition about silence in nature, I peppered him with questions as we walked, the swells of the Indian Ocean pounding magnificently on the rocks below.

What whales can you see in these waters? "Humpbacks, blue whales, pygmies, pilots." Sharks? "The area is notorious for them, especially February to April, when the salmon arrive to spawn." How do surfers deal with it? "You think about sharks before you surf, you think about them after, but when you're surfing, you're in the moment." Snakes? "Just look at me. When I stop, you stop." Why is there almost no one here? "Because the western coast is the best-kept secret in Australia. Just lookthere is no development here. And we don't want it. What you see when you stand with your back to the ocean today is exactly what the Aborigines saw 60,000 years ago. When word gets out how good all this is, we're going to be inundated."

The Ningaloo Reef coastline is another of Western Australias UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The geography: a 160-mile fringe reefmeaning it's so close to shore you can swim or snorkel out to it (unlike the Great Barrier Reef, all of which is at least 10 miles from land). Right beyond the crashing waves, the continental shelf drops off and it's all deep watera speedway for the ocean's megafauna. Called Humpback Highway (although there's a plethora of other marine life here as well, including 300 to 500 whale sharks, the biggest fish in the world, which annually congregate here), it runs from Broome, further north, where the whales calve, down to Antarctica, where they spend the Antipodean summer. And Ningaloo, with its unparalleled proximity to the deep, is the world's best place to see themwhether from the shore as they breach (quite a sight at breakfast) or, the be all and end all, by getting into that deep water with them.

Because this natural wonder is in northwest Western Australia, it was generally unknown (again, like the Bungles, despite its UNESCO World Heritage status) except to a small circle of diving and snorkeling aficionadosand, of course, to the Indigenous Baiyungu and Thalanjyi people, traditional owners of the area, who call it Nyinggulu and who have lived in this area for 40,000 years. (The 32,000-year-old necklace in Perth's WA Museum Boola Bardip was discovered here.) But word is getting out, at least in Australia. The best-selling Australian author and conservationist, Tim Winton, released last summer a three-part documentary, Ningaloo Nyinggulu, available on the Australian Broadcasting Company.

From Perth, via a two-hour commercial flight to the small resort town of Exmouth, the northern gateway to Ningaloo. (Interestingly, Exmouth began life as a support community for a U.S. Navy base, which operated here from World War II until the 1990s and is now a joint U.S.-Australian operation.) Then it's another hour by rental car along an empty coastal road from the Learmonth airport to the lodge, inside Ningaloo Marine Park. (Look out for dingos, who like to sun themselves on the tarmac.)

There are few things as soothing as the end of the day at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef. Bring your lantern to dinner for the walk back to your tent.

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is a little compound of 16 cream-colored tents (including a larger honeymoon one) that seem lost amid the dunes and grasses, steps from a white beach. As at the APT Bungle Bungle Wilderness Lodge, the tents are comfortable but simple, and shower water, if not exactly rationed, is carefully monitored (you're in a protected conservation area in an arid environment). But the overwhelming emotion you feel is, what a privilege it is to be herea feeling augmented, I must mention, by the open bar in the communal dining area and the long, convivial dinners, which feature such delicacies as duck with pumpkin puree accompanied, of course, by excellent wine pairings.

The smaller attractions on Ningaloo Reef. The camp has wet suits.

As elsewhere in Western Australia, activities abound here despite the remoteness. A frequently updated blackboard in Sal Salis's communal space lists (in addition to that day's menus) the departure times for: snorkeling (schools of tropical fish, manta rays, enormous brain corals), kayaking, and various guided gorge hikes and nature talks in the surrounding Cape Range National Park. I did all of it.

When done through an expert and sensitive small-group tour operator, the experience of swimming with a whale shark is unforgettable.

But I was here for the whales and the big fish, having booked with Exmouth's premier small group tour operator, LiveNingaloo: morning pickup, maximum of seven swimmers (with three non-swimmers allowed on the small boat that will take us over the reef into the open Indian Ocean), back at Sal Salis by 3 p.m., lunch and libations and wet suits provided.

A spotter plane flew ahead of us, communicating constantly with our captain, Murray Pattison, searching for sea animals and the right conditions. The water needs to be clear, for visibility. If he spots a female humpback with a calf, the calf must be no smaller than half the size of the mother. (If it's very young, there's a risk of her engaging in defensive behavior.) If he spots a pod, is it calm or boisterous? We wouldn't go in if they were aggressively breaching or playing, or if there were a female surrounded by males. With humpbacks, the staff explained, we wouldn't actually swim with themthey're too fast. We'd get in the water ("bunched up, in a group, no squealing, masks on"), and if we were in the right position the whales would swim right past us, 15 to 30 meters away. "They know exactly where we are in the water. They're very intelligent. There are times when the mother will lift her pectoral fin and show her calf to usor us to her calf. You see her eyes focus, taking you in."

My heart was in my throat the entire time on the boat. The open ocean was choppy, and I just felt how deep it was. It was the wildest, or most unfamiliar, environment I've ever been in. We had some near misses with the humpbackswe would slide into the water off the back of the boat, thumbs up, then something would change and we'd heave ourselves back onboard. Then a whale shark appearedseven meters long, a juvenile, and we went for it. The instructions were simpler because whale sharks swim slowly (they eat only plankton, unlike their smaller but more fearsome relatives) and, being fish, are not interactive. A few things to keep in mind when swimming alongside them: no touching, stay behind the pectoral fin, and don't get closer than four meters from the tail and three meters from its sides. And stay on the surface (i.e., no duck diving).

Our captain said, "Whale sharks are mysterious. We know they live 100-plus years in the wild, but much less in captivity. They are not migratory, but no one has successfully tracked their movements, partly because they go really deep." On my third and final swim, I was suddenly not alongside the whale shark anymore but above it. It was beneath me and growing fainter by the second, dropping into the abyss. The staff had warned us that might happen. I had just been ghosted by a giant fish. I could no longer make out the markings on its back, then not even its outline. It was just me bobbing out there, and the navy blue depths of the Indian Ocean. I have never felt so breathtakingly far away.

Executive Travel Editor

Klara Glowczewska is the Executive Travel Editor of Town & Country, covering topics related to travel specifically (places, itineraries, hotels, trends) and broadly (conservation, culture, adventure), and was previously the Editor in Chief of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

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Why Western Australia Is the Continent's Best Kept Secret - Town & Country

Development plans have been lodged with the department of planning for a new build-to-rent project in Sydneys North Shore.

Designed by leading Australian architectural practice COX for Twynam Group, the proposed build-to-rent (BTR) development, Nicholson Place is located in suburban St Leonards. Once a bustling commercial hub recognised for its excellent transport links and modern amenities near the city, St Leonards has evolved into a mixed-use precinct featuring a diverse mix of residential, retail, commercial, and community spaces.

High quality communal amenity for future residents lies at the core of COXs design for Nicholson Place. The development will provide 271 build-to-rent residences in a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartmentsover 30 storeys, with the residential section sitting above 6,000sqm of mixed-use commercial spaces in the podium.

COX worked closely with their interiors team to craft health and wellbeing spaces, co-working and studying spaces, social and gathering spaces, and operational spaces, all spread out vertically. These curated amenity and communal spaces accessible to all residents help create a sense of belonging and enhance wellness within a connected vertical village.

A public plaza on the ground floor to the corner of Nicholson Street and Christie Street has been proposed as a benefit to local residents, in addition to a multipurpose room accessible from Christie Street, which will be used by the local community to cater for a variety of events.

Key design highlights:

What makes this building unique is how it has allowed people to meaningfully connect with each other. Whether its the building residents in the communal kitchen, the local community in the purpose-built community space or the public in the corner plaza, says COX director, Felipe Miranda.

Socially sustainable living

To ensure social inclusivity within the building design, the amenity provision promotes healthy habitats and lifestyles, creating a comfortable, vibrant and adaptable environment that fosters recreation, social interaction and intergenerational connections contributing to broader social sustainability. Communal spaces are designed with biophilic design principles, with green planting connecting people to nature.

Designing with Country

Paying tribute to the Gai-maragal People, who have been the traditional custodians of these lands since time immemorial, COXs design is informed by Indigenous design strategies throughout the development and built form including the orientation and positioning of the living, working and playing spaces.

Vision for Nicholson Place

As St Leonards evolves into a more diverse and mixed-use precinct, the development surrounding the site has embraced ground floor activation guidelines from St Leonards and Crows Nest 2036 Plan to create nodes of activity and enhance permeability through the area. These developments have fostered a sense of community and connectivity by linking spaces between St Leonards Station and Crows Nest Metro Station. The Nicholson Place site has the potential to contribute to this growing community by responding to the changing context of St Leonards and providing a development that reflects the new residential and mixed-use nature of the area.

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COX-designed build-to-rent project in Sydneys North Shore ... - Architecture and Design

Youre traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land called East Hampton, where hydrangeas bloom as big as grapefruit and rose bushes tumble over picket fences. The old shingled house has a signpost up ahead. Your next stop: the Old Money Zone!

Signs of the Old Money Zone: ancient specimen trees that arch over rolling croquet and badminton lawns and inside, restrained good taste. Expect Colefax & Fowler prints on curtains, chairs, and bedclothing, along with scads of antique furniture, and most of all, copious evidence of an educated and moneyed collector.

Indeed, American folk art, majolica, antique hat forms, ironstone, antique bird cages, brass shoes, cranberry glass, and modern and contemporary art were all passions of the late owner of this East Hampton estate, Alice Netter, who passed in July at the age of 87. Gardening was another passion of Netter, as it is easy to see from the photos of the property. According to her obituary in the East Hampton Star, Her gardens were magnificent, only to be outdone by the floral arrangements she created from them, as centerpieces for her dinner parties.

She and her attorney husband bought the Jericho Lane estate in 1977. (Mr. Netter passed away in 2009.) Now, their Shingle Style house, built in 1901, and set on 2.4 acres close to the ocean, in East Hamptons coveted estate section, is available for sale at $17.9 million. Listing agent is James Petrie at Compass.

Anyone looking to channel their new fortune into a stately old-money estate need look no further. The historic house includes a pool and cabana in its lovely park-like grounds. The estate is, in fact, made of two parcels that might possibly be subdivided: 1.3 acres on tony Jericho Lane, plus an additional 1.1-acre vacant parcel that abuts the possibly even tonier Apaquogue Road, site of the legendary Grey Gardens estate.

Sure, the house could use some updates, but its not worth quibbling about since anyone paying $18 million for a house is certainly going to spend even more money on upgrades and customizations. The ground floor of the house includes a spacious formal living room with fireplace, a formal dining room, and a large eat-in kitchen. A huge sun porch includes sliding doors on either end, to take in cool summer breezes, but also offers protection on buggy summer nights. A powder room and a den with a fireplace complete the main level.

The upper floor contains seven bedrooms. Three guest bedrooms have private baths and three more share a hall bathroom give those bedrooms to the summer guests you dont like as much while the primary suite provides a charming sitting room, a dressing room and an en-suite bathroom.

Outside, the gunite pool is surrounded by a large sun deck and a pool house with another half bathroom. In front, the circular drive, motor court and attached two-car garage provide plenty of parking. And of course, all this is just minutes away from the finest beaches in the world.

See the article here:
Old Money Hamptons Home Is Ready for Its Next Owner - DIRT

Google turns Foster + Partners Selene into the ultimate smart condo

Google has collaborated with FrenchCalifornia, Guillaume Coutheillass design and creative studio, on two model residences at Selene, the newly relaunched 63-story condo tower in midtown Manhattan designed by Foster + Partners. Googles Nest smart home devices are incorporated throughout both units, according to a representative, providing a benchmark for how residents may effortlessly integrate high design with intuitive technology. Addressing security, entertainment, connectivity, and more, the deviceswhich include Nest Wi-Fi, Indoor Nest Cam, Nest Audio, and Nest Hub Gen 2incorporate both voice and gesture controls and come in minimalist color palettes that match the design envisioned by Coutheillass team.

In addition to high-tech offerings, the residences include cultural masterpieces including one-of-a-kind works by artists like Christo, Agnes Martin, and Lisette Model, and collectible furnishings by Marcel Breuer, Hans Wegner, Christophe Delcourt, and Philippe Starck.

Out-of-state moves hit new high

Americans are on the move, according to a new report from Redfin that finds migration in the US is at an all-time high. In July 2022, roughly a third (33.7%) of prospective homebuyers on the property listing site were searching in metro areas outside their own. Thats compared to about a quarter (26%) before the pandemic and 32.6% in the second quarter of 2022.Florida and California were the top picks, with Miami the most-searched region, followed by Sacramento, San Diego, and Tampa.

Redfin agent Jodie Lee reports theres been a steady uptick in relocators from LA and the Bay Area to San Diego since the pandemic made remote work more common. Ive also seen quite a few remote workers move in from places like Seattle and North Carolina, Lee said in a statement, because they like the sunny weather and outdoor activities.

Tampa and Miami had the largest number of prospective homeowners from the New York City metro area. But migration into the sunny states is starting to slow compared to last year, according to the site, as prices rise and inventory shrinks. Las Vegas rounded out the top five metro areas and, in the ninth position, Portland, Maine, landed in the top 10 list for the first time since Redfin began tracking the data in 2017.Its especially popular with Bostonians, the site saysboth those relocating and those purchasing second homes.

The report examined two million Redfin users looking for homes in more than 100 metro areas. Users must have viewed at least 10 homes in the area to be included.

Link:
A Valerie Bertinelli Pad Is For Sale, Carmels Butterfly House Lists for $40 Million, and More Real Estate News - Architectural Digest

Most nights and weekends, my brother Aaron, and sister-in-law Alana host friends in their backyard. They have a space thats made for entertaining with a pool, a hot tub and a cabana with a washroom, local beers on tap, seating and a fridge. Not to mention, they have a killer sound system and my brother curates playlists to appeal to guests to set a good vibe.

Though theyre very generous, Ive heard my fair share of horror stories about guests who come over empty-handed, overstay their welcome or never extend a reciprocal invite.

So how do you give good guest, especially if you want to ensure you get invited back?

Dont ever come into my house, Alana joked when I asked her what her top tips are for guests. She said when the idea of a pool came up with Aaron, she said: Either we get a washroom outside or a live-in nanny.

Our washroom is at the front of the house so kids would have to walk all the way through, in their soaking swimsuits, Alana said. Our space outside is very limited but we found a way to put a washroom in, which was great during COVID so people could still come over without walking through the house, and saves me from having to clean up after people.

Another faux pas: those who hint at wanting an invite. Instead she suggests making plans in advance, and its a bonus if you or your kids entertain her young children. One of her favourite guests is my brothers friend Cory, his wife and their 13-year-old twins. Their kids get our kids to play games with them in the pool and they always offer to bring lunch like sushi or order food on an app directly to the backyard, Alana said. Were hosting so were always putting out drinks, but theyll help collect the plates and clean up. She said its nice when people offer to help clean up or get up to help unprompted.

One thing she can do without? Guests who bust out water guns and constantly squirt either the parents sitting at the cabana, or worse the glass and railing leading into her home. Because our pool is salt water it stains, so then I need to Windex all the stuff, Alana said. Overall, she suggests not being too rowdy, and if youre at a pool with your kids and theyre getting hyper or annoying, to step in.

Since my brother is a foodie and loves to prepare meals in his smoker or on his barbecue, its nice when guests bring popsicles, ice cream or order an end of meal treat. My brother-in-law, for example, always orders the whole family McFlurrys or Blizzards from Dairy Queen after we eat, allowing everyone to choose what they want; a total mensch move.

A not-so-cute move? When you tell your host youre going to bring something and then dont. A guest once said she was bringing a couple salads, so I didnt buy the ingredients or plan to make a side dish, then she showed up without it, which put me in an uncomfortable situation, because I would have prepared accordingly otherwise, Alana said. Instead of getting to hang out with her guests, she was in the kitchen stressed out trying to put something together for everyone.

Apart from bringing food, you could bring the host a gift, said Amanda Alvaro, president of Pomp & Circumstance. Some gift ideas she suggests are a trendy floaty for the pool, a set of summery napkins, a pretty outdoor candle or some patio-friendly tumblers.

Alvaro has three children under the age of eight, and is often hosting family friends in the backyard of her Rosedale home. If bringing food, she suggests bringing light finger foods, like fruit skewers or a crudits board with dip, so kids can run out of the pool and just grab it easily. For drinks, she suggests bringing flavoured water, sparkling lemonade, or ready to drink canned cocktails to avoid glass.

Alvaro said she provides all the essentials: towels, sunscreen, food and beverages to stay hydrated in the sun. That said, etiquette expert Lisa Orr said guests shouldnt assume a host will provide everything and should bring their own towels. Giving your host extra laundry after a visit isnt the best way to say thank you for having me, Orr said.

She also said not every event is cannonball friendly, so follow your hosts lead in terms of the vibe of their pool party. And sure, its nice to let the host take care of you, but keep in mind they want to relax too.

Finally, both hosts and Orr agree that guests shouldnt linger and should read the room on when its time to go. If youre invited over for lunch, try not to overstay your welcome in the hopes youll get a dinner invite too! Alana said.

Im not sure how it started, but a hilarious thing she and Aaron do is play the song Closing Time, by Semisonic, when its time for my family to pack up and head out. We definitely get lost in the joy that is their children, the backyard and the whole vibe and often we dont even realize how quick the day has passed. This song is like a not-so-subtle cue to wrap it up and has become a family tradition; we all sing along with the song as we pack up and head out.

If all else fails, and guests dont get the gist that its time to go, Alana says she grabs the last of the towels and plates and simply says: OK, Im going in. When leaving, she suggests making sure youve packed everything up, so youre not co-ordinating with the host how to get your wet bathing suit or towel back a week later.

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Dont assume its cannonball-friendly, bring a towel and other advice if you get invited to a pool party - Toronto Star

An aerial view of Zimmerman's previous home in Great Falls. Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Media.

The $7.9 million home of retired Washington Nationals star Ryan Zimmermana.k.a., Mr. Nationalwent on the market earlier this week, as first reported by Urban Turf.

Listed with Wetherly Barker Hemeon, of TTR Sothebys International Realty, the six-bedroom, 10-bathroom Great Falls estate looks more like a lavish resort than a single-family home. Thats precisely what drew Zimmerman and his wife to the home when they bought it in 2012 for $3.9 million.

Because Ryan is in the public eye all the time, we wanted a little vacation at home and thats what we found, his wife, Heather, told Home & Design in 2016.

Heres a peek inside:Inside, an open-concept floor plan joins together a chefs kitchen, anchored by a marble island, a sun-drenched breakfast nook, and a large family room featuring a gas fireplace. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The breakfast nook. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.One of the homes living rooms is lined with French doors overlooking the estates terrace, water fountain, and gardens. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The primary bedroom suite comes with garden views, a gas fireplace, a private patio, as well as a bathroom with two dressing rooms, a walk-in shower, and soaking tub. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The master bathrooms soaking tub. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.One of the master bedrooms two dressing rooms. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The homes many resort-style amenities include this game room on the lower level, as well as a gym with steam room, a theater with stadium seating, and a fully-equipped bar and wine cellar. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.Theater with stadium seating. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The in-home gym with steam room. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.Fully-equipped bar. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The wine cellar. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.Clearly designed for extravagant entertaining, a pool house and large cabanaequipped with an outdoor bar, kitchen, and seating area with fireplaceaccompany a saltwater infinity pool, hot tub, and koi pond. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The five-acre property boasts an English Garden, several water features, as well as this two-story playhouse that was included on the TLC show Charmed Playhouses. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.The English garden. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.One of several water features. Photo courtesy of Peter Papoulakos Photography.

Zimmerman played 16 seasons for the Washington Nationals, as a third and first baseman, before announcing his retirement in February. He and his family are trading the 13,000-square-foot Great Falls home for a newly built 20,000-square-foot estate, dubbed as Federal Hill, in McLean.

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Peek Inside Ryan Zimmermans Former $7.9M Home, Which Hit the Market This Week - Washingtonian

4,000 square feet of natural light and clean lines are what youll feel the moment you step into this weeks Dream Home.

The modern design is a fresh architectural alternative to many of the new modern farmhouse homes that are so popular today, said listing agent Jerry Cibulski of CENTURY 21 Albertson Realty.

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This Southold home has a clean design theme throughout the property that can be felt instantly beginning with the soaring two-story living room with a steel and oak staircase, he added.

The space boasts five bedrooms and four bathrooms with ensuite bedrooms on all three levels of the home. And the owners suite is something to talk about with a dramatic catwalk leading into the second-floor suite, 10-foot ceilings, and a private deck.

The homes first floor is open and airy with a thoughtful layout and smart use of the steel windows. This level includes a professional kitchen with a 48 Fisher-Paykel 8-burner range, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, and custom walnut cabinetry.

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There is also an expansive finished walk-out basement with polished concrete floors and outside, a Gunite pool with light package, retractable cover, and a cabana.

But one of the most incredible features of this home is the rooftop deck with 360-degree water views where you can enjoy nightly stunning sunset views over the Long Island Sound.

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The architectural interest in the design elements, as well as the open space filled with complimentary natural light, make this home utterly unique, said Cibulski.

And wed have to agree.

As far as location, just moments away is access to both Arshamomaque Pond and the Long Island Sound providing unparalleled beach and water sport options.

The property is listed at $3,600,000.

See the complete listing here.

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North Fork Dream Home: Modern new construction with sleek lines and a thoughtful layout - Northforker

For being the smallest state in the union (by land mass), there sure is a lot to see and do in Rhode Island. Summer is certainly the most ideal time to visit, having been a premier weekend escape for New Yorkers, Bostonians, and New Englanders since the 19th century.

Even before the recent HBO series, there is plenty to indulge that Gilded Age itch or, if youre looking for more modern vibes, the Taylor Swift of the Folklore era with The Last Great American Dynasty.

This is by no means an exhaustive travel guide to visiting everything in and around Rhode Island, but merely a few suggestions to fill up a regular weekend or even a long weekend comprised of a beach day and a few excursions.

The Breakers: Newport is home to some of the most impressive mansions in the United States, many built in styles emulated from the great chateaus and villas of France and Italy. None are more grand than the former summer getaway of the Vanderbilt family. Opt for a guided tour if you can as the onsite tour guides are fonts of knowledge. (The house also served as one of the primary sets for HBOs The Gilded Age.)

Makers Mark Hobbit Houses: When you hear hobbit houses, youre probably scratching your head, thinking those are in New Zealand, where The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. But these are the only official hobbit houses licensed by New Line Cinema in North America. And theyre the perfect settings for a rustic private dinner, which can be setup with tasting menus paired with both new and rare bottles from the Makers Mark portfolio.

Newport Harbor: Being that this is the original home to the famed Americas Cup sailing race, you cant go to Newport without sailing yourself. While you dont have to (and probably shouldnt) attempt a ride on some of the more modern racing catamarans, you can take a ride on a previous winner from the 1960s with with Americas Cup Charters, for a sail around the bay.

Newport Jaguar Tours: Taking a note from the previous denizens of Newport from the last century, travel around Newport in style. The tour operator has different Jaguars to choose from, including a convertible that can seat two. Being a coastal town popular with tourists in the summer, you might not realize that Newport is quite large. While you can walk a lot of places, you can see much more in the span of two to three hours, all while seated in a luxurious vehicle, while learning about Newports famous (and infamous) former residents.

The Sailing Museum: Among the newer attractions in Newport, the educational non-profit organization is home to the National Sailing Hall of Fame and Americas Cup Hall of Fame in the space once used as the press room for the Americas Cup.

Bowens Wharf: San Francisco has Fishermans Wharf, and Newport has Bowens Wharf. This is a must-visit and unavoidable hub for shops, galleries, cafs, ice cream parlors, and restaurants ideal for both lunch and nightlife.

Sydney Providence: This all-day Australian caf offers some of the best breakfast options in Providence, from healthy to indulgent. Even if youre not an avocado toast person, you should still order it here. Also try the brekkie bowl, with a surprise layer of lemon curd, and one of the specialty iced coffee drinks.

Bellini Providence: Located in The Beatrice hotel, Bellini does simple Italian dishes right, with a focus on fresh, local ingredients, expertly paired with a vast and well-curated wine list. And even if youre not going in for a full meal, definitely get a cocktail at the gorgeous bar and lounge area.

Tha at Dune Cottage: Opened just this year, Tha, which translates to view, offers unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean. (And on a clear day you can even see as far as Montauk.)

BarCino: This Italian bistro is a neighborhood favorite in the heart of Newports historic Washington Square, which is often overlooked by tourists and more frequented by locals. Almost everything on the menu here is a winnerbut do not stop by without ordering one of the restaurants signature grilled pizzas.

Cara Restaurant: Tucked away in a small private room at The Chanler at Cliff Walk, this five-star restaurant offers contemporary and creative blind tasting menus based on your dietary preferences, all inspired by local ingredients and European cuisine with special wine pairings. Tasting menu dinners can last two to three hours, and right now, the restaurant only does seatings at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. And while the food is everything to write home about, youll also be spoiled by the panoramic views of the beach and the ocean at sunset.

The Roof Deck at The Vanderbilt: Located at the very top of the historic downtown Newport mansion, it is the perfect al fresco spot to watch the sunset and take in sweeping views of the historic city and port. The hotel, now an Auberge property, also has one of the best cocktail bars in the area, including a special gold leaf martini.

The Beatrice Hotel: Just under a year since first openings its doors, The Beatrice is a great choice for any type of travel, from business to pleasure. Try to make a reservation for one of the corner suites out of the 47 rooms onsite, which offer bay windows and lovely views of the financial district. The Beatrice is also well located in the center of the city, near the river and Brown University as well as the arts district, full of options for daytime and nightlife. )

The Preserve Sporting Club & Residences: This is the ultimate luxury getaway in Rhode Island. You could get here by caror by helicopteror even by private jet if youre a member with the club. Accommodations range from plush hotel suites to multi-room townhomes to tiny homes, which might not seem so tiny if youre coming from New York or Boston, but are cozy and fun (especially for kids) nonetheless. (And soon the property plans to open its treehouses, starting this fall.) And while there are plenty of onsite services and amenities (such as a full hair and nail salon, a spa, an outdoor pool, and a fitness center), the real draw here is everything wondrous about the great outdoors. Among the many activities you can get into include tennis, archery, clay shooting, fishing, and of course, golf on the propertys championship mountain course.

Hammetts Hotel: Run by the same hotel group as The Beatrice, among other properties in New England, Hammetts is one of the best located hotels in Newport, right in the middle of the waterfront area, just a few blocks from Bowens Wharf. The hotel has all the amenities youd need, including a 24-hour gym, coffee service in the lobby in the mornings, and onsite parking with valet service. (Valet service is plentiful in Newport.)

Ocean House: There might be nowhere more iconic in Rhode Island than the pale yellow Victorian mansion than Ocean House on Watch Hill, an affluent coastal area that has a long history as a summer getaway destination for New Englanders but also might become a pilgrimage site for younger travelers in that it was an inspirational site for one of Taylor Swifts albums. Ocean House fits the needs for any traveler, whether you need to work remotely, want to spend time with your family, host a birthday party, or just chill out at a private cabana. And if youre looking for some athletic options, theres a croquet lawn, subterranean squash courts, a full gym, and access to paddle and boogie boards on the ocean. (The hotel is also very pet-friendly, and more than happy to set up your best friend with treats, toys, a ceramic water bowl, and his or her own dining menu, either in your room or at one of the cabanas on the beach.)

Go here to read the rest:
A weekend guide to Rhode Island - Fortune

CHAPPAQUA, NY If the mansion in the newly released movie, Bodies Bodies Bodies looks kind of familiar to you, there's a good reason.

It was once one of the Hudson Valley's most unique Patch Wow Houses, noted for its secret passageway.

While the estate itself is well hidden from the road, ads for the new movie, starring Pete Davidson, Lee Pace, Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Rachel Sennott, Chase Sui Wonders and Conner O'Malley, are hard to miss. "When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong," according to the producer A24's one-line synopsis of the film.

The Georgian stone manor estate, known as "Rosewood," located at 48 Haights Cross Road, was recently priced at $6.75 million (July 2021) but was de-listed on May 23, of this year. The property, which was built in 2004, is a 20,456 square foot, 6-bedroom/10.5-bathroom house on 86 acres, according to public records. It also has a two-story mahogany library, billiard parlor, wine cellar, media room, gym, sauna, indoor basketball court and chef's kitchen. The secret passageway can be found in the master wing. The estate also has hiking trails, sports courts, a pool, a cabana and a landscaped pergola.

The cabana is where much of the Hollywood misadventure takes place in the film.

Chappaqua was chosen as the filming location for Bodies Bodies Bodies because the exclusive enclave "convincingly reflected the high-income demographics of most of the characters in the story." While location scouting, production designer April Lasky said she found the "empty McMansion-style estate that had been on the market for several years, providing an ideal setting for a Covid-era production that had desolation and constriction in its DNA."

Rather than just using the estate for exterior shots, nearly the entire movie was shot on the property, according to the filmmakers.

"Shooting an entire film in one location presents its own challenges, but there are many pros to it as well, the main one being you get to settle into a space and have more time to think about how you want things to look and feel," said Lasky in an A24 release. "With the power outage being central to the story, the colors and sheens selected for the interiors had to be chosen carefully and tested vigorously against the lighting scheme, which includes flashlights, cell phones, and glowsticks in the blackout scenes."

Director Halina Reijn asked for as much prep time as possible in the disused location because she thought the big group scenes, with their complex character dynamics and volatile freakouts, would be challenging to film. "I asked the actors to learn their lines as if we were rehearsing for a play," said Reijn. "In the end they were wonderful they could do a big, complicated scene in one take."

The house's massive living room became the base for the movie's meticulous rehearsals as well as a place where Reijn and the actors could plan complicated scenes that played out in darkness during the game-play sequences.

"The house gave us ample space to feel out its dimensions which was so liberating," said Stenberg. "Our physical blocking and reactions to each other in motion became an important part of the process in terms of finding each scene."

While the William Pitt Julia B. Fee Sothebys International Realty listing for Rosewood is no longer active, photos from the listing can still be seen here.

A peek at the mansion's interiors is available through A24's official trailers:

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Hudson Valley Mansion Is The Real Star Of That New Pete Davidson Movie - Patch